Australia v South Africa: Hobart Test marks new low for Steve Smith’s team

COMMENT: AUSTRALIAN cricket faces its lowest point in 140 years and an ugly predicament faces a once-proud cricket nation after Steve Smith’s team copped another brutal beating at the hands of South Africa.

• HOBART TEST: Woeful Aussies humiliated
• ROBERT CRADDOCK: Fight for soul of cricket at stake

SACK the lot of them and start again. Actually, hang on. That won’t work.

There’s no one decent to replace them with.

That’s the ugly predicament of a once-proud cricket nation as Australia copped another brutal beating at the hands of South Africa.

With the series lost, Australia face their lowest point in 140 years as they somehow try to avoid their first series whitewash on home soil in Adelaide.

There must be sackings but the sad truth is there is no glorious young talent in domestic ranks who is banging on the door with performances which demand a baggy green cap.

There are only three truly world-class players in this Australian side.

And they would be the only three players South Africa would even consider picking in their side.

Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and Dave Warner (despite his recent batting brain snaps).

The other eight Aussies are just making up the numbers.

So how did it come to this?

Dreadful leadership of Australian cricket should be the prime target. It is where heads must roll.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, who has been in the job since 2001, must walk the plank.

Australian captain Steve Smith departs after being dismissed by South African bowler Kagiso Rabada for 31 runs on day four of the 2nd Test match between Australia and South Africa at Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Pat Howard has also messed it all up and has much to answer for. His job title is high performance manager but there has been none of that from this Australian team.

The selection panel is out of touch and Rod Marsh should never have been appointed. He was happily retired and hadn’t been to many games in years when he was appointed.

The fact he overlooked fast bowler Jackson Bird for Test selection because of his No.11 batting says it all really.

Australian cricket is awash with rivers of gold (thanks to the Big Bash) but the system is broken.

Not only is our Test side an embarrassment, but our once envied Sheffield Shield competition is nothing like it once was.

The policy of rest and rotation, where fast bowlers spend more time with their feet up than bowling in matches, needs to be scrapped. Sports science has gone mad.

Fans are totally turned off by this underperforming Australian team and the coaches and systems around it.

There is too much meaningless cricket - so we don’t perform in the cricket that actually means something.

There are so many issues in Australian cricket it is hard to know where to start.

Aussie Cricket has reached Ground Zero. It is only November and the calls have already gone out to start the NRL season early to get rid of this rubbish cricket on our TV sets.

And this is all at a time when Australia’s top cricketers are demanding more cash.

They must be kidding.